bawd

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bawd

/bɔːd/ UK
/bɔd/ US
/bɑd/ cot caught merger

Sounds like baud, board, bored (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːd

Where it comes from

From Middle English bawde, baude, from Old French baud (“bold, lively, jolly, gay”). Doublet of bold. An association with Welsh bawddyn (“dirty fellow, scoundrel”), from baw (“dirt”), was suggested by the Rev. Henry Todd.

noun bawds · baud · baude

archaic, historical One who keeps a brothel, or procures women for prostitution; a procurer or madam. Of late in the Park, a fair fancy was seen / Betwixt an old Baud and a lusty young Quean, / Their parting of Money began the uproar, / I'll have half says the Baud, but you shan't says the Whore
broadly, obsolete A person who facilitates an immoral act, especially one of a sexual nature. In ſaying this thou wrongſt me Gaueſton, / Iſt not enough that thou corrupts my Lord, / And art a Bawd to his affections, / But thou muſt call mine honour thus in queſtion?
A lewd person.

Similar: brothelkeeper, pimp, procurer, procuress

adjective more bawd · most bawd · baud · baude

obsolete Joyous; riotously gay.

verb bawds · bawding · bawded · baud · baude

archaic To procure women for lewd purposes.

Thesaurus

noun

Similar: brothelkeeper, pimp, procurer, procuress

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MLA

"bawd." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bawd. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

bawd. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bawd

Chicago

"bawd." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bawd.

BibTeX

@misc{bawd_2026,
  title = {bawd},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bawd},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}